Reviewed by: Van Badham, Van About Town
Review by Van Badham | 04 March 2023

Hey, #aldfringe fans! Scout Boxall’s “Buck Wild” establishes the standup comedian’s stage persona firmly in the “loveable weirdo” camp. From the moment they appear, Boxall’s reputation for the comedy of jarring surrealism is apparent in their choice of outfit; a wild pink dress, which - despite being patterned with smiley faces - manages to itself look terrified to be there. Boxall is far more confident, singing songs about complex sexual obsessions with formula 1 champions and running a poll on the best Assorted Cream Biscuit with an infectious, electric zaniness. It’s quite a contrast with their darker material, which explores the comedian’s struggles with mental illness, with a sequence devoted to a manic episode involving said biscuits as well as a teenage birthday party held in a residential care facility. As a hands-up, fellow self-confessed “psycho” in the audience, I yearned to see Boxall reckon more deeply with this darkness, most of all to challenge the prevailing stereotype that it’s those of us who live with mental illness who are too creampuffy to take a joke when really it’s those supposed to be fabulously well-adjusted who go to pieces if we dare laugh at ourselves. Quirky and zinging with promise.